Xbox is home to some of the best platformers around, there’s no doubt about that. The Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are sporting some brilliant platform games with an array of colourful and immersive worlds to jump, slide and grapple your way through, and with the Xbox backwards compatibility program, there’s a seemingly never ending wealth of titles to choose from.
From the dizzying heights of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy to the stunning pixel art of Celeste, here are some of the best platformers on Xbox that will keep you busy for hundreds, if not thousands of hours.
Publisher: Matt Makes Games / Developer: Matt Makes Games
Starting out with one of the greats, Celeste perfectly marries a thought provoking narrative with pitch perfect platforming. Exploring themes of mental health and our own inner demons personified, the story takes many twists and turns, while also engaging on an emotional level. This would be enough to carry it alone, but the platforming itself is so precisely tuned with brutal difficulty that feeds into the narrative. It’s a perfect concoction and makes for one of the best platformers on Xbox.
Publisher: Microsoft Studios / Developer: 4J Studios
Banjo-Tooie is not only a fantastic platformer, but one of the best sequels ever conceived. Despite originally releasing on the Nintendo 64, the HD visuals on the Xbox 360 bring a new breath of fresh air into the game. It’s never looked or played better and the humour of the series has aged like fine wine. With its diverse environments, hundreds of collectibles, and addictive platforming gameplay, it’s arguably the best in the series.
Publisher: Humble Bundle / Developer: Gears for Breakfast
Inspired by open-world collect-a-thons such as Super Mario 64, the excellent A Hat in Time is a love letter to the old school platforming genre and builds upon it. Starting off in a seemingly generic locale, the game quickly opens up to explore some truly unique environments, each with their own interesting premise. One particular favourite involves solving a mystery on a train. The game’s constant evolution keeps its momentum going to the very end. A ride definitely worth checking out.
Publisher: Microsoft Studios / Developer: Double Fine
While we patiently await the launch of Psychonauts 2, the original game is fantastic adventure to return to. There’s nothing else quite like it and coming from the mind of Tim Schafer, it feels like a wacky trip into his very conscious. Trying to explain Psychonauts is hard, but the simple premise is you play as a character who can inhabit peoples minds and explore their thoughts and desires. It’s truly original and its idea allows for some absolutely brilliant level design. Definitely one to check out before the sequel.
Publisher: Microsoft Studios / Developer: Armature Studio
When you think of ReCore, the idea of it being a platformer is perhaps not your first thought – but it definitely is. Outside of the running and gunning you’ll spend a lot of your time exploring the world, which often requires a large amount of platforming to get from point A to B. But the absolute best part are the mini dungeons scattered around the world, each with their own platforming gauntlet. The challenge slowly ramps up with an addictive upgrade path. It’s often under many people’s radar, but it’s one not to be missed.
Publisher: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, much like Banjo-Tooie, was a stellar port to the Xbox 360. The jump to HD made the colourful world beam with life and introduce a new audience to its iconic gameplay. It marked the first game on Xbox for the hero and worked seamlessly in replicating what made the originals so good. The sheer variety of gameplay is great, from deadly boss encounters, to trippy free running levels in-between worlds. It never manages to get stale and is always upping the ante.
Publisher: Team17 Digital / Developer: Playtonic Games
You can complete Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair within an hour or two if you really want to. Odds are you probably won’t, but for those who possess the skill, it’s definitely doable. The reason being is the game’s simple premise of being based around completing one deadly platforming gauntlet to reach the final boss. It’s immensely tough, but can be made easier by exploring the hub world and completing levels to earn more health and chances in the Impossible Lair. It’s a great concept and caters to players who want an easier experience vs those who are looking for something more challenging.
Publisher: Playful Corp / Developer: Playful Corp
When Super Lucky’s Tale launched, it was a great little platformer. However, New Super Lucky’s Tale is more than just an enhanced version of the original; it completely reworks what came before it. Levels have been completely overhauled, Lucky’s controls have been tightened, and the game has a brand new lick of paint. It often feels like a sequel, offering new challenges and discoveries that make it one of the best platformers on Xbox.
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